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| Despite militancy Kashmiris fiscal health is sound | | | If the police figures are any indication the repeated shutdowns in the Kashmir valley during the last 20 years have spelt economic ruin on the state of Jammu and Kashmir.The economic disaster is inevitable when the normal life has remained paralysed because of 1562 shutdowns in the last 20 years.This indicates that business
establishments remained closed,transport services off the roads and work in offices and educational institutions remained paralysed because of shutdowns for four days in each week. As a result of these shutdowns and militancy related violence the sectors that were hit hard included that of tourism,industry,agriculture,horticulture,exports and allied activities.And the police reports reveal that the state economy,especially that in the valley,suffered a loss of Rs.200000 crores.The Government also suffered a loss of over Rs.15,000 crores.As far the losses suffered by traders,transporters,houseboat owners,hoteliers,exporters and those connected with tourism and industry amount to over Rs.150000 crores.This way people in the valley should have been reduced to paupers.Yes,if in the militancy related violence shopping centres,private houses were damaged or destroyed the extent of loss in this sector was not as heavy as in the Government sector when the
basic infrastructure in the shape of school buildings,hospital and dispensary buildings,bridges and culverts were destroyed and the forest wealth was looted.One need not feel surprised over such losses because under the operation Topac,which had been conceived during the military regime of Gen.Ziaul Haq,attempts had to be made at causing economic bleed to India.This is apparent when Delhi has been spending several hundred crores of rupees every year for
rebuilding the infrastructure damaged in militancy related violence and on security related expenses and on relief and rehabilitation of victims of militancy.Well this apart what is a matter of surpise is the way new shopping centres,posh residential colonies have been built in Kashmir.Another surprise is the steep rise in the number of luxury cars and equally steep increase in the per capita income of people in the valley.One can find top class goods and gadgets,imported from foreign countries,available in the posh shopping centres in Srinagar.The state Government has not financed these new shopping centres and residential colonies,where one finds palatial houses inhabiting rich families.Old records reveal that tourism,export of handicraft items and fresh and dry fruit besides saffron have remained the backbone of the valleys' economy.However,all these sectors were highly affected by militancy related violence.One had expected to witness scenes of
poverty and economic distress among people of the valley.It has not been the case.Where has the money come from for building new shopping centres,malls palatial houses and for buying various luxury items including cars,electric and eletronic gadgets? This is a question that has received different answers from different people.But it is worth probing because when you have shutdown four days a week you cannot expect traders,transporters and those connected with tourism and export of handicrafts to earn even a pittance not to talk of fortune.And knowledgeable circles says that various channels have remained open all these 20 years which have ensured free flow of money.One is the money received by people from across the LOC,for keeping the cauldron of violence boiling, and from several Islamic countries where a large number of Kashmiris work as doctors,engineers,skilled workers.They keep on sending money to their families which ensures better living
conditions for a section of people.Besides Pakistani agencies,especially the ISI,that have been pumping large sums of money for sustaining the politics separatism even the Indian intelligence agencies have been spending heavy sums of money on securing inputs about the plans and movement of militants and separatists.Besides the hawala transactions contraband charas smuggling too provide suffcient money to the people to lead lavish lives.If not anything else militancy has given rise to a new class of riches in Kashmir.It has been rags to riches story for several thousand Kashmiri families because of money flowing to them from various channels.Kashmir has witnessed unprecedented scenes of death and destruction where over 70,000 people have died during the last 20 years but despite it the valley does not look ravaged.This is so because of multi-channel money flow.
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